The combination freezer-refrigerators in which the refrigerator and freezer compartments have adjacent, vertical access doors are known generally as side by side refrigerator-freezers. The styling and convenience of side by side compartments has made the product very popular with consumers. In most side by sides, the cooling is accomplished by means of a single evaporator located in the freezer compartment. Air is forced over the evaporator and circulated by means of ducts into the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.
Because of the height of each of the compartments, the side by sides have unique cooling properties and particular care must be taken to prevent temperature variations within each compartment. In response to this, various kinds and arrangements of evaporators, ducts, air dampers, defrost circuits and the like have been tested and used by different appliance manufacturers. But many have proven to be unreliable, and others consume considerable energy in accomplishing their cooling function.
It is an object of this invention to provide improved refrigerating apparatus comprising side by side frozen food and fresh food compartments. In particular, its objective is to provide more uniform temperatures in both the freezer compartment and the freezer door. Another major objective is the provision of a cooling system which conserves power and increases the operating efficiency by optimizing air flow and minimizing the resistance to air flow. An additional feature of the invention is a reduction in the noise level usually associated with operation of such refrigerator-freezers.